The Cheeklaw Aberdeen Angus herd was established 25 years ago by David and Christine Lucas and has since become well-known among Angus breeders. The herd has grown from a select number of females. AI was used at the start and this moved to stock bull as numbers increased.

The last number of years have proved particularly successful for the Lucas family, with their trip to Stirling last February producing the overall champion Cheeklaw Jake Eric, which sold to Albert and Jennifer De Cogan from Cork for 10,000gns. The herd also sold Cheeklaw Emlyn privately to the Matchett family in the North – that one went on to claim the overall all-Ireland championship at Newry Show this year.

The key focus was to keep the quality and traits which made the breed famous in the herd. Walking down the aisles of cattle at Stirling Mart last Monday, it was easy to see this focus expressed in the cattle forward.

A top call of 20,000gns was achieved twice throughout the sale. First at the money was Cheeklaw Pride N449, which found a new home with Kevin McOscar, Island Farm, Northern Ireland. Pride was sired by Haymount Wavestar, a bull purchased by the Lucas family for 15,000gns which unfortunately stifled itself leaving only five calves on the ground. She was sold alongside her April 2017 calf sired by Cardona Proud Punch, sire of this year’s Stirling champion.

Matching her at the price tag was her 2016-born daughter Cheeklaw Pru S541. Pru is sired by the aforementioned Cardona Proud Punch and found a new home in the south of Ireland with Albert and Jennifer De Cogan of the Mogeely herd.

Securing a price of 15,000gns was a cow and bull calf pair. This lot was highlighted by the young May calf which in many people’s eyes was the best Angus bull in the yard that day. Sire of the calf was Balmachie Lord Jock, while the five-year-old dam was sired by Easton Greys Joseph Eric. The pair sold to Brailes livestock, Oxfordshire.

Next in line was a 12,000gns call for Cheeklaw Jenny Erica N452 and her March-born twin heifer calves. This cow was a maternal half-sister to the February 2017 Stirling champion by Easton Greys Joseph, while the calves were again sired by Cardona Proud Punch. The three sold to Rodmead Farm.

Also selling at 12,000gns was Cheeklaw Black Belle R518. This two-year-old heifer was sired by Cardona Proud and out of Easton Grey’s Joseph Eric daughter Cheeklaw Black Bethal. Successful bidder here was the Orr family of Halbeath Farm.

Last of the lots to make 10,000gns or more was a cow and calf by the name of Cheeklaw Black Betsy M417 and Black Beth T597 which sold for 11,000gns. The heifer calf is by the Balmachie-bred stock bull while the cow is sired by Easton Grey’s Joseph Eric. One of the picks of the 2017 heifer calf crop, they sold to the previously mentioned Brailes livestock in Oxfordshire.

There was a 100% clearance. Cow and calf pairs met trade of £5,806 for 37 lots sold while 22 heifers sold to an average just shy of £5,000. In total, including three bulls, 62 lots sold to an average of £5,408, to make a combined figure of over £335,000.